Wheel



July 24, 1928. 1,678,530

D. T. PHILLIPS WHEEL Filed llay 28, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 24, 1928. 1,678,530

D. T. PHILLIPS WHEEL Filed May 28, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ira/6222207" Jan? 210" jz'ZZz' JJ' Patented July 24, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

DARI'US T. PHILLIPS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WHEEL.

Application filed May 28,

The wheel of the present invention is of that type which employs individually mounted tread sections adapted to contact the ground, and the object of the present invention is to combine a continuous tire with such tread sections in such a way that it will not only serve to hold the tread sections against rattling or vibration when in use, but will also supplement the tread surface in affording an additional area of ground contact.

The invention further relates to the means provided for so configuring and mounting the tread sections that the mountings therefor will subserve the purpose of affording a mounting for the tire, so thatthe structure as a whole will be properly unified and combined.

Further objects and details will appear from a description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a wheel, partly in section, which our ploys the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side. elevation of one of the treads with the mounting therefor;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional elevation through a portion of the wheel, showing one of the treads and mountings in elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the tread mountings and associated parts.

The wheel as a whole is built .upon a hub 10 which, as shown, is in the form of a double hexagon comprising a center web 11 extending radially from a center sleeve or journal mounting 12, which Web merges into a pair of oppositely extending peripheral flanges 1313, each of hexagonal shape and arranged in staggered relation to one another in such a way as to bring the corners of one hexagon into registry with the flat sides of the other, as best indicated in Fig. 1.

In order to reinforce the flat sides, a plurality of radially extending ribs 14: are pro vided, which merge into the centers of the flat sides of the hexagon on each side of the double faced hub. Each of the flat sides is provided in its center with an outstanding tongue or lug 15, which is preferably cast onto the outer flat side of the hub and is 1926. Serial NO. 112,192.

entered between a pair of ears 17 extending inwardly from an intermediate bracket mounting 18, a cross pin 19 being provided to freely connect the parts together in such a way as to permit the bracket mounting to move inwardly in a radial direction toward the center of the wheel, and when so moved will have considerable freedom of motion in a circumferential direction by reason of the configuration of the aperture 16.

The bracket mounting 18 serves as a connection for the tread mounting, which is pivoted to the bracket mounting by means of a pivot pin 20 which is entered through an elongated tubular boss 21 on the outer face of the bracket mounting, and through outer and inner lugs 22 and 23 which extend inwardly from the inner face of a tread mounting plate 24. The ends of the tubular boss'21 merge into a pair of enlarged, drum shaped heads 25, which respectively abut against the outer and inner lugs 22 and 23 which are concentric with the axis of the pivot pin 20, so as to permit the tread mounting to roll around the peripheries of the drum shaped heads as the treads rock back and forth during the operation of the wheel.

Each of the tread mountings 24 is in the form of a T-shaped plate comprising a recessed tread carrier 26 of rectangular shape and an inwardly projecting extension 27, constituting a shoe for the contact of the circumferentially extending continuous tire 28. The recessed tread carrier aifords a mounting for a rectangular tread 29 which is referably formed of rubber or the like, an, which, as shown, projects slightly beyond the outer face of the continuous tire, which is likewise formed of rubber or similar material. The rear or inner face of the tread mounting is plane or flush, but the outer or acting face of the shoe extension 27 is rounded to conform to the curvature of the continuous tire 28, which bears firmly upon the shoe extensions of the entire series of treads, which thus furnish a mounting for the tire tohold the same in the medial position between the treads on opposite sides of the wheel.

In order to hold the treads in outwardly projected position and to afford the desired amount of resiliency in the structure of the wheel, each of the tread mountings is encircled by a coil spring 30, the ends of which bear respectively against the flat faced hub iii) and the intermediate bracket mounting. The conrolutions oi the spring coil thus encircle 1e and the ears .7, and in order to ahord a firm mounting for the inner and outer ends of the spri i g, the portions of the ftIHCiIUQ contiguous thereto are provided with spiral grooves 31 and 39,, as best indicated i i 3.

In view or the fact that the hub is in the two oppositely facing hexa ons, the will be arranged in :he term of two red series extending circumferentially around the wheel and in overlapping relation to one another. This arrangement of the treads causes the shoe mount ngs for the tire to extend nwardly in alternation from the opposite sides of the wheel, but out oi contact with one another, so that the necessary freedom of swinging movement will be a to dcd to the individual treads without intel ference, and, at the same time, the entire ser es of shoes will afford sub-=tantial continuity oi n'ionnting for the tire which will. occupy a position intermediate the lines of overlapping treads on opposite sides of the wheel.

, In use, the tire will serve to ctfonally hold the treads against free or unimpeded movement, so the." there will be no tendency tor the treads to swin idly or rattle, and, at the me time, the arrangen'ient is onev which will permit the individual treads to adapt thcn'isclves to the ground contour without impedinumt. lVhcn the wheel is rotating. the successive treads will swing into flatwise contact with'the ground, and when this posiattained, the ground pressure will to hold the tread against movement or v and the superposed weight will con'nnensurate con'ipression of the tre:

spring.

This will move the pin 19 inwardly toward the circum'l erentially elongated por of the aperture 16, so that there will thereupon develop a tendency tor the whed to roll rward slightly without momentarily moving the tread or disturbing the ground contact maintained thereby, and ths independence ol movement will continue unzil the oncmning end oi the aperture will engage tie pin and carry the tread backwardly with the rotation of the wheel The otation oi the wheel thus develops a four told movement in each of the treads, that is to say, a bodily rotating movement of the tread w th the wheel, a swinging moven'ient ,ad to bri it into flatwise contact that excessive freedom of movement will be prevented and, at the same time, any jolting or jarring which might be occasioned by the intermittent contact of the treads With the ground will be avoided by the provision of the continuous tire surface which will thus serve to stabilize and equalize the rolling action of the wheel as a whole. Furthermore, when operating in comparatively soft ground, the continuous tire will afford a supplemental area which will tend to prevent excessive sinking or embedmentin the ground, and this area in conjunction with the effective tractive effort of the treads Will a'li'ord a high efiiciency to the Wheel.

Although the wheel has been described with particularity as to detail, it is not the intentionto limit the invention to the precis 1 arrangement shown, since the mountings for the treads might be otherwise arranged without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1 claim:

1. In a wheel, the con'ibination of a hub portion, a series of tread members circumferentially arranged around the hub, mountings for pivotally connecting said tread members with said hub portion, and a continuous tire carried by said tread mountings and lying in laterally adjacent relation to said. tread members and supplementing the ground contact afliorded thereby, substantially as described.

2. In a wheel, the combination of a hub portion, a series of tread members circumferen tially arranged around the hub, spring hacked mountings for pivotally connecting said tread members with said hub portion and a continuous tire carried by said tread mountings and lying in laterally adjacent relation to said tread members and supplementing the ground contact aflorded thereby, substantially as described.

3. In a wheel, the combination of a hub portion, two series of tread members, arranged in parallel rows around the hub, mountings for said tread members, and a continuous tire lying between said rows of tread members and supported upon the mountings for the tread members, substantially as described.

4. In a wheel, the combination of a hub, two rows of tread members arranged in parallel. relation around the hub, yield-ably sup ported and pivotally connected mountings for connecting said tread members to said l l (J hub, and a continuous tire carried by said mountings and lying intermediate the rows of tread members, substantially as described.

5. In a wheel, the combination of a hub, two rows of tread members arranged in parallel relation to one another around said hub, the individual tread members in the two rows being in staggered relation with respect to one another, mountings for connocting said tread members to said hub, each of said mountings having an inwardly projccting shoe portion, and a continuous tire carried by said shoe portions and lying intermediate the rows of treads, substantially as described.

6. In a wheel, the combination of a double faced hub, each face being of polygonal formation and the flat sides of the respective faces being in staggered relation to one another, a tongue extending outwardly from each of the flat faces and provided with an inwardly enlarging slot, a connecting bracket associated with each of said tongues and conncctcd thereto by a pin entered through said slot to permit a predetermined degree of movement between said tongue and bracket, a spring interposed between the hub and each of said brackets, a. tread mounting pivoted to each of said brackets, each tread mounting having an inwardly projecting shoe portion, a continuous tire carried by said shoe portions, and a tread carried by each of the tread mountings in position to co-act with the surface of the tire in alford ing an area of ground contact, substantially as described.

7. In a wheel, the combination of a hub provided with two rows of slotted elements, the slots in the respective rows being in staggered relation to one another, each of the slots being of triangular formation with its greatest circun'iferential dimension toward the center of the wheel, two rows of brackets associated with said slotted memhers said brackets being connected thereto by pins aiiording a capacity for movement in a radial and in a circumferential direction, springs interposed between said brackets and said slotted members, tread mountings pivoted to the brackets, each mounting being provided with an inwardly extending shoe portion, a continuous tire carried by said shoe portions, and treads carried by said tread mountings and disposed on opposite sides of said tire, substantially as described.

8. In a wheel, the combination of a hub portion, a series of tread members circumfercntially arranged around the hub, mountings for resiliently connecting said tread members with said. hub portion, and a con tinuous tire carried by said tread mountings and lying in laterally adjacent relation to said tread members and supplementing the ground contact afiorded thereby, substantially as described.

9. In a wheel, the combination of a hub portion, a series of tread members circum- :ferentially arranged around the hub, mountings for pivotally connecting said tread members with said hub, said mountings lying in close adjacent endwise relation to one another, and a continuous tire carried by said tread mountings and lying in laterally adjacent relation to said tread members and supplementing the ground Contact afforded thereby, substantially as described.

10. In a wheel, the combination of a hub portion, a series of tread members circumferentially arranged around the hub, mountings for resiliently connecting said tread members with said hub, said mountings lying in close adjacent endwise relation to one another, and a continuous tire carried by said tread mountings and lying in laterally adjacent relation to said tread members and supplementing the ground contact afforded thereby, substantially as described.

11. In a wheel, the combination of a hub portion, a series of tread members circumferentially arranged around the hub, mountings for pivotally and resiliently connecting said tread members with said hub, said mountings lying in close adjacent endwise relation to one another, and a continuous tire carried by said tread mountin s and lying in laterally adjacent relation. to said tread members and supplementing the ground contact afforded thereby, substantially as described.

12. In a wheel, the combination of a hub provided with two rows of slotted elements, the slots in the respective rows being in staggered relation to one another, each of the slots being of triangular formation with its greatest circumferential dimension toward the center of the wheel, two rows of brackets associated with said slotted members, said brackets being connected thereto by pins affording a capacity for movement in a radial and in a circumferential direction, springs interposed between said brackets and said slotted members, tread mountings pivoted to the brackets, each mounting being provided with an inwardly extending shoe portion, a continuous tire carried by said shoe portions, and treads carried by said tread mountings and disposed on opposite sides of said tire, and in staggered relation to one another, the tread surfaces protruding slightly beyond the adjacent portion of the tire surface, substantially as described.

DARIUS T. PHILLIPS. 

